Insulator.



T. H. WATKINS.

INSULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED um 21, 1911.

Patentea Nov.28,1911.

2 SKEETB-SHEET 1.

T. H. WATKINS.

INSULATQR.

APPLmgrI'oN FILED JUNE 2-1, 1911.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

2 SHEETS-8HEBT 2.

THOMAS H. wA'rKrNs, or WAKPALA, SOUTH DAKOTA,

INSULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratentednovyas, 1911.

Application filed June 21, 1911. Serial No. 634,459.

To all whom it may comm-n:

. Be it known that I, THOMAS H. WATKINS,

acitizen of the United States, residing'at Wakpala, in the county of Corson and State .01? South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Insulators, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to animprovement in Insulators, and the object is to provide means for fastening the wire to the insula- The fasteningmeans consists of resilient "plates which are connected to the wire and which are sprung-into a socket formed in the insulator for fastening the wire to the insulators which are mounted upon the cross bars of a telephone or telegraph pole.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of arts-which will be hereinafter fully dev.scr1 d and pointed out in the claims.

' In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation looking through the groove: Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view;

' ig. 4 is a top plan view of the preferred form of fastening means ready to be ap-' plied to a wire; Fig. 5 is a view in elevation showing the position taken by the fasten"- in means for gripping the wire and just' prior to being forced or sprung into the socket of the insulator; Fig. 6 is a plan view of a slightly modified form; a d Fig.

7 is a topplan view of another modified form similar to the structure shown in Figs. 1 to 5, with the wings or lips removed.

A, represents the insulator, which is made of any suitable insulating material, and is provided with a notch or socket 1. The walls of the socket are provided with recesses 2. The base of the socket or notch has a general curvature or slope from the apex at the center to the ends, to' drain off mo1stureand prevent its accumulation therein. A plate 3 of flexible material is provided 'with lips or wings- 4, which are formed by .the ends of the plate being bent along the rear side and parallel with the main portion. A tongue 5 is struck or cut from the central portion of the plate, and is adapted to project in an upward direction.v The wire to'be fastened and held to an insulator is received beneath the lip, then the sides of the plate are bent toward each i other practically V-shaped for causing the tongue to be compressed upon the wire forfastening theclip or plate securely'thereto. The plate is then sprung or drawn into the socket or notch formed in the insulator, causing the wings and plate to enter the'recesses 2 in the notch or socket, therebyzsecurely fastenlng the wire to the insulatorr By this means the wire isalways held within the insulator and is held sufficiently tight to hold the line secure in'caseof: break. "The tension of the line is not dependent on the security of two fastenings to hold it taut.

The tension is equalized by the many insulators to which it is secured from mile to mile or from end to end. In case the wire should break, it will instantly kink, and this would prevent the wire from slipping through the fastening. As the wire must be straight and free from kinks in order to pass or'be pulled over the insulator, a-great deal of pressure will be necessary to disconnect the wire from the fastening means after. it has once been fastened to the insulator. The fastening means. is preferably made of material which will not rust, the body being of sufficient flexibility and resiliency to be fastened to the line Wire and to fit into the recesses in the insulator.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a slightly modified form in which two tongues 7 are struck from the central portion of the plate '3, and each is intended to grip the wire, one tongue extending in one direction across the wire, and

the other tongue extending in the opposite direction, so that the two tongues engage the two sides of the wire when the sides of the plate are drawn together or moved toward each other prior to being inserted in the socket of the insulator.

The modification shown in Fig. 7 is similar to the structure shown in Figs. 1 to 5, but in this form I have omitted the wings or lips 4.. The lips 4 insure that the plate or fastening means is securely locked within the recesses of the socket, whereas with the structure shown in Fig. 7, if, for instance, the sockets should be of a greater size than the fastening plate, the plate would not fit the recesses and be held as securely therein as when the wings are provided which insure the plate being securely fastened upon the wire and at the same time insuring the fit in the socket'of the insulator.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An insulator having a socket formed therein, a flexible plate sprung into the socket and'held therein, and means on the plate for fastening a wire.

2. An insulator having a socket formed therein, the Walls of the socket having re-- cesses therein, a flexible plate having lips thereon adapted to be sprung into the socket causing the lips to enter the recesses for fastening the' plate to the insulator, and means on the plate for fastening a wire thereto.

3. Aninsulator having a socket formed therein, the walls of the socket having reoesses therein, a flexible plate having lips thereon adapted to be sprung into the socket causing the lips to enter the recesses for fastening the plate to the insulator, and a tongue formed on the plate for fastening a wire thereto.

4. An insulator comprising a socket, a plate having a tongue struck therefrom, between which tongue and the plate a wire is held, the ends of the plate being bent toward each other for clamping the'tongue upon the wire and then springing the plate in the socket of the insulator for connecting the plate and wire to the-insulator.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS H. WATKINS.

Witnesses:

W. J. GRAIN, W. M. CHAMBERS. 

